


By Dawn's Early Light

by kcstories



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-24
Updated: 2007-01-24
Packaged: 2018-08-15 01:39:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8037220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcstories/pseuds/kcstories
Summary: A confusing awakening in a hospital bed.





	By Dawn's Early Light

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings:** AU. Angst. Weirdness. Mention of character death.  
>  **Notes:** The Potterverse is JKR's, not mine.

Squinting against the bright light of morning, the first dawn he's seen in what feels like an eternity, he looks around wearily.  
  
_Where is he? What is this place?_  
  
It doesn't take long before he realises he's in a hospital bed.  
  
_Is he sick? Did they get to him before he had a chance to deal with them?_  
  
He glances at his hands. He sees the restraints on his wrists.  
  
_Is he a prisoner? Whose? They got to him, didn't they? How in Circe's name did they ever get to him? He was always so careful, so prepared, so…_  
  
He hears the sound of footsteps fast heading in his direction. He looks around, frantically scanning the room for his wand.  
  
_And where the hell did Nagini go? If Potter as much as touched her…_  
  
A young woman dressed in all white walks towards his bed. "Good morning," she says in a pleasant voice. "I've brought you your breakfast.”  
  
He frowns. He’s not hungry. Food is the least of his worries. He has to find Harry Potter.  
  
_Harry Potter threatens to sabotage everything he's worked so hard for. He'll expose the wizarding world to the Muggles, taint it forever, damage it beyond repair, destroy it completely in the end..._  
  
"Untie me this instant, whoever you are," he commands. "I have urgent business to attend to."  
  
"My name is Hermione Granger, and the only business you have, Mr Riddle," she says sternly, "is right here. Must we go through this every single day?"  
  
He frowns. "Excuse me?"  
  
She suppresses a sigh, and sounding considerably more patient than she actually feels, she begins to explain: "You were the victim of a terrible accident two months ago, Mr Riddle. And you've been suffering from hallucinations, severe memory loss and aggressive outbursts ever since; those outbursts being the reason why you're presently restrained. We wouldn’t want you to hurt anyone, including yourself."  
  
"Harry Potter," he says, though it sounds more like a question.  
  
She nods slowly. "Yes. Mr Potter was the driver of the other vehicle. He passed away on the night of the crash."  
  
Tom shakes his head, thinking he might be amused if this were actually funny.  
  
_Whatever will they come up with next? And are they implying he's some kind of Muggle, who’d get into some sort of… vehicle? The very nerve!_  
  
"Now," she says, spooning up some cereal, "how about some breakfast? I have other patients to attend to as well, you know."  
  
"Imperio!” he shouts at her.  
  
She doesn't know what that means, or why he looks so disappointed when nothing happens.  
  
She gives him a small smile and thinks it's very sad to see a once so brilliant man, one of Britain's greatest political minds, reduced to this, and right in his prime too.  
  
She still has trouble believing what happened to him was really an accident, and she can’t help but wonder whether Harry Potter, whoever he was, didn't know exactly what he was doing.


End file.
